Percussion musical instrument.



,H. E. WINTERHOH. PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED llAlLl, 1909 Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

Canbe ra 04: Herman E .1 Mhrerh off. 23

Q/Vitwaooeo atfoznu o UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN E. WINTERHOFF, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T0 LEEDY MANU-FACTURING COMPANY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

PERCUSSION MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN E. WVIN'rnR- HOFF, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State ofIndiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PercussionMusical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a musical instrument on theorder of a metallophone wherein each element is capable of producingeither one of two distinguishable tones, depending upon the portion ofthe element operated upon.

The simplest form of my invention comprises a single element capable ofproducing either one of two distinguishable tones, such an instrumentbeing especially available for use by a trap drummer in simulating thesound of an anvil and for this purpose it is desirable to provide asupporting stand which will bring out the tone of the instrument andwhich can be folded and packed within the tube.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a primary form of my invention forproducing anvil effects; Fig. 2 a perspective of the supporting stand;Fig. 3 a view showing the stand folded and ready for insertion withinthe tube; Fig. 1 a perspective View of a metallophone constructed inaccordance with my invention; and Fig. 5 a section on line 5 5 of Fig.3.

I have discovered that a polygonal bar, particularly a rectangular bar,and especially a rectangular tubular metallic bar, if properlydimensioned with a broad face and a narrow face, will produce either oneof two distinguishable tones, having different pitches, depending uponwhether the bar be struck upon its broad face or its narrower face, andthat, if these two dimensions be properly proportioned, any desiredrelation of pitch may be obtained, 2'. 6., if the two faces are equalthe two tones will be the same in pitch; if the bar be solid or tubular,the pitch of one side relative to the other may be heightened byincreasing the dimension of the other side, that is to say, byincreasing the depth of the bar with relation to the blow-receivingface. Both tones may be simultaneously produced by simultaneousSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 1, 1909.

Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

Serial No. 480,507.

blows on the two faces or a single blow upon the corner between the twofaces.

In the drawings, 10 indicates a hollow metallic bar having a broad face11 and a narrower face 12, the walls being of uniform thickness so thatif the broad face be struck with a suitable instrument and then thenarrower face be struck with a suitable instrument there will bedeveloped two successive distinguishable tones the one resulting fromthe stroke upon the narrower face being of higher pitch.

In practice I have found that an excellent imitation of an anvil may beproduced by a hollow steel tube 14: inches long rectangular in crosssection with one face 2 inches and the other face 1%- inches, and athickness of wall of inch. This instrument when struck on its 2 inchface will produce G of the second line of the treble staff, and whenstruck on its 1%; inch face will produce D of the fourth line of thetreble stafl.

In order to support the bar 10 so as to bring out the characteristictones it is necessary to support it at its nodes in a manner similar tothe support of an ordinary Xylophone bar but such support is notsufiicient in the present instance because the bar must be supported insuch way that either one of its two sound producing faces may be readilystruck. It is also desirable that an instrument of this kind be readilycarried about and I have therefore deemed it advisable and commerciallynecessary to so form the support referred to that, for transportation,it may be of such form that it may be projected into the tubular bar 10.For this purpose I have provided two crotch seat members 14 14: each ofwhich is composed of a piece of sheet metal 15 having lips 16 16 at itsvertical sides, and a plate 17 fitting between the edges of lip 16.Between plates 15 and 17 I mount a block of felt 18 which block, in itsupper edge is cut into a crotch-shaped seat 19 adapted to receive thebar 10. Plates 15 and 17 are correspondingly cut into crotches at theirupper edges as clearly shown in the drawings. Each plate 15 is providedat its lower edge with a lip 21 which projects from plate 15 to aposition opposite to the projection of lips 16. The two lips 21 are thenpivotally connected to the opposite ends of a distance rod 22 thearrangement being such that the two crotch members 14 14; may be turnedat right angles to bar 22, as shown in Fig. 2, to form a self standingsupport, or may be folded down into the same plane and parallel with bar22. The height of the crotch blocks 14, and the length of bar 22, aresuch that when the parts are folded into the position shown in F ig. 3,the supporting standard may be projected into the interior of bar 10 fortransportation.

In Fig. 4 the instrument shown is merely a development of the instrumentshown in Figs. 1 and 2, the base 21 in this case being provided with aplurality of crotch blocks 24 in which are supported any desired numberof sounding bars 23 each of which is supported as to present two of itsfaces for reception of sounding blows, the said two faces being properlydimensioned relative to each other to produce any desired relation ofpitch. H

I claim as my invention:

l. A musical instrument comprising a hollow bar having two differing butsubstantially uniform diameters to produce, under blow, two soundsdiffering in pitch, and a pair of separated supports arranged to receiveand sustain said bar in vibrating condition and in position to receiveblows in either of the directions of its two differing diameters.

2. A musical instrument comprising a bar having two differing butsubstantially uniform diameters to produce, under blow, two soundsdiffering in pitch, and a pair of separated supports arranged to receiveand sustain said bar in vibrating condition and in position to receiveblows in either of the directions of its two differing diameters.

3. A musical instrument comprising a hollow bar and a support standtherefor, comprising a pair of crotch blocks adapted to receive the barhaving dimensions permitting insertion into the hollow bar, and adistance rod to which said crotch blocks are pivotally connected,whereby the crotch blocks may be folded upon the distance rod forinsertion into the hollow bar, for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal atIndianapolis, Indiana, this twenty-fourth day of February, A. D. onethousand nine hundred and nine.

HERMAN E. WINTERHOFF. [n 8.]

lVitnesses:

ARTHUR M. Hoon, THOMAS WV. MoMEANs.

